Gun deer season is just days away, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is once again asking hunters to help them track Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the state's deer.
CWD was discovered in Wisconsin deer in 2001 and the DNR has been tracking it since.
The disease causes neurological disorders in the animal. The only way to track the problem is to get samples from hunters, the DNR said.
- RECOMMENDED: Gov. Walker eliminates state's minimum hunting age
"If we don't sample the deer that hunters are bringing in, we really don't know the prevalence of CWD on the landscape anywhere in the state," explained Dianne Robinson, a wildlife biologist with the DNR.
Last year, the DNR received 6,000 samples. This year, biologists are looking for 8,000.
CWD is not known to be harmful to humans, but the CDC recommends tainted meat be thrown out.
